The USA's Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has issued a statement aimed at consumers, legislators, and regulators to alert them that a bogus e-mail is causing anxiety about new proposed cell phone number directories.
An urban myth in the making has been churned up by e-mails circulating widely across the United States saying that proposed directories of cell phone numbers are being compiled for use by telemarketers.
Although there may be efforts to compile cell phone directories by phone companies, such directories may not be used for unsolicited telephone marketing calls, because a 1991 federal law prohibits that.
This law, the 1991 Telemarketing Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), makes it illegal for solicitation calls to be made to wireless phone numbers without clear permission from the individual to whom a number has been assigned.
The Direct Marketing Association says that it continues to support vigorous enforcement of the absolute restriction on unsolicited calls to cell phone numbers for marketing purposes and urge federal and state authorities to prosecute those who may engage in this illegal activity."
Posted to the site on 13th December 2004
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/11446.php